African Civet Helps To Produce Sought After Coffee Beans in Most Bizarre Way
Have you ever seen an African Civet? It has black and white splotches all over its body (reminds me of a hyena's markings) and black around its eyes much like a raccoon. They're very agile and fast and have long sharp claws that make them expert tree climbers. They are also known for something; they help produce some of the most sought-after coffee beans in the world.
You might be wondering how on Earth a civet can make coffee beans, and the answer might surprise you. One Minute Animals shared a video on Thursday, March 21st explaining how the process works. Listen in because the answer is probably going to surprise you!
As One Minute Animals says in their caption, "From poop to coffee!" Yep, it's kind of gross, but the coffee is actually delicious. My husband worked with a man whose family lives in the Philippines, and he brought us a bag of it after he visited them. It was rich, bold, and smooth, and if you're a coffee drinker, it should be on your bucket list to try...it's pricey, but its flavor is amazing!
Related: Furry Marmot Joining Hiker for Morning Coffee Is So Delightful
More Facts About African Civets
African civets might look like cats but are more closely related to weasels and mongooses. They are nocturnal and can be found sleeping in dense grasses near water during the daytime. African civets are solitary and secretive animals who only come together to mate. Mothers are the only ones who build nests which they build in holes that have been dug by other animals or under tangled roots.
Civets are very territorial and mark their territory using an extremely strong musk that they create, and the scent can last for up to three months. The musk, called civetone, can be described as putrid smelling, but believe it or not when it's diluted it creates a pleasant scent that's been used for years to make perfumes. They make a total of four sounds: a scream, a growl, a cough-spit, and most commonly a 'ha ha ha' like sound they use when making contact with other civets.
You may have noticed that they have a ridge of hair along the top of their backs. If a civet feels threatened, it raises its dorsal crest so that it looks larger and like it might be dangerous to attack. Another interesting fact that I found at Animalia, "African civets can eat items that are either poisonous or distasteful for most mammals, including millipedes, highly-decayed carrion, and the fruit of Strychnos."...yuck!
While civets are definitely not ever going to rank as one of my favorite animals, they are pretty interesting ones, and the coffee that they help produce is definitely one of my favorites!
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